Packaging machine



May 10, 1932. R, Nv DOBLE 1,857,625

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet l May 10, 1932.

R. N. DOBLE PACKAGING MACHINE 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 15

May 10, 1932.

R. N. DOBLE PACKAGING MACHINE 5 S ets-Sheet Filed Feb. 15, 1

May 10,1932. R. N. DOB LE PACKAGING MACHINE Filgd Feb. 15, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 10, 1932. R, N, DOBL E 1,857,625

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 10, 1932 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RALPH N. Donna, on BAYSIDE, New YORK, ASSIGNOR 'ro rzmum'rrc scans conrona- TION, LIMITED, or QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, A conromrron or mssecnusn'r'rs racxasm'e macnmn Application filed February 15, 1928. Serial No. 254,470.

This invention relates to a packaging machine.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedpackagingmachinehaving provision for packaging a commodity and attaching a tag to the package in a novel, economical and superior manner.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel construction are now well-known and only suflicient portions thereof have been herein illustrated as will enable the features of the present invention to be understood.

In general, in the automatic tea bagging machine forming the subject matter of my Patent. No? 1,726,060, provision was made for forming successive bags and filling the same with'tea or other commodity and for m of automatic bag forming and filling ma-, trimming the surplus material from the chine in which provision. is made for automatically attaching a tag' to each bag, in a novel and superior manner.

With these obj ects in view and such others If) as may hereinafter appear the invention consists in the machine and in the structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

m In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a portion of ant automatic tea bagging machine embodying the features of the present invention; Fig. 2

"- is a side elevation illustrating the tag feeding and punching mechanism; Fig. 3 is an'end, elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2, looking from the center of the machine; Fig. 4 is a plan of a portion of the turret and the mechanism for producing slack in the string; Fig. 5 is a detail of the spreader finger arms; Figs. 6 to 11 are details of portions of the tag punching andv the looping mechanism; Fig. 12 is a bottom plan view of the spreader finger actuating cam; Figs. 13 and 14. are details of the punch; and Figs. 15 to 20 are diagrammatic views in plan and elevation illustrating the process of producing the loop.

The different features of the present invention have been illustrated in the drawings as embodied in a machine for producing tea balls, and which machine mayand preferably will, except as in details to be hereinafter pointed out, be constructed and have the mode of operation of the automatic tea bagging machine forming the subject'matter of my Patent No. 1,726,060- Such a machine F has been commercially used in substantial numbers and the details of its construction mouth of the closed bags, and thereafter at-" taching a tag to each bag. Provisionwas made for feeding successive tags each hav-. ing a previously formed hole therein, into operative relation to tag stringing mechanism which functioned to attach the string to the tag through the previously formedl hole or opening in the tag and to tie the string around the mouth of the closed bag.

In the preferred form of tea bagging ma- 7 chine embodying the present invention, provision is made for feeding successive tags from a bulk supply thereof and for forming the opening in each of the successive tags thus fed as a step in the operation of the machine, and for thereafter attaching the tag to the string by insertion of the string through the opening thus formed. In this manner diflicultie's which have heretofore been experienced in handling tags previously punched are avoided and the present ma-, chine finds more universal use in packaging tea and tagging the bags. In addition the present machine enables the separate tag handling and punching operations hereto; fore required to be eliminated so that the tagged tea bag may be produced -u on the present machine at a reduced cost 0 manufacture.

Referring to the drawings, the improved 00 tea bagging machine illustrated therein is preferably provided with the usual mechanism for withdrawing a predetermined length of gauze from a supply roll not shown, and positioning the length of gauze in predetermined relation to ba forming and filling mechanism. The detalls of construction of the bag forming and filling mechanism are preferably those illustrated in my Patent No. 1,726,060, and of the commercial automatic tea bagging machine at present being manufactured and sold by Pneumatic- Scale Corporation, Limited, of Norfolk Downs, Mass. For the purposes of understanding the present invention, it is believed to be sufficient to state that in the opmembers 10, 12 are operatively supported by a rotatable disk or turret 14, and provision is made for intermittently rotating the turret 14 and the gripping members 10, 12 through successive steps by known mechanism, as illustrated in my said patent, so that during the operation of the machine the bag is formed and filled at one station, such as A, and the gripping members l0, l2 operated to close the mouth of the bag and to operatively support the bag and convey it during the successive steps through which the turret 14 is rotated until the bag is presented tothe mechanism for looping the string around the mouth of the bag and for attaching the tag to the string. The mechanism for rotating the rotatable disk 14 may and preferably will comprise the mechanism of the known commercial automatic tea bagging machine above referred to and which is also illustrated in my Patent No. 1,726,060.

Referring now to Fig. 1, I have diagrammatically illustrated therein various positions or stations into which each bag is moved as it is supported by the grippers 10, 12. After the bag has been formed and filled at the station A, it is moved to a station B where the surplus material is trimmed from the mouth of the bag by a shear diagrammatically indicated at 18 in Fig. 1 and whose details of construction and mode of operation may comprise any suitable shear, but preferably the shear disclosed in my Patent No. 1,726,060 above referred to. After the surplus material has thus been trimmed off from the mouth of the bag the latter still held by the gripping devices is rotated with the turret into a position designated 0 at which loops of the string are positioned around the mouth of the bag preferably by the mechanism employed for this purpose in my said patent above referred to. After the loops have thus been formed around the mouth of the bag at the station C, the bag still retained between the grippers 10, 12 is f then movedto a station D, and thence at the described may and preferably will comprise the commercial tea-bagging machine manufactured and sold by Pneumatic Scale Corporation, Limited, of Norfolk Downs, Mass,

and the construction and mode of operation of which is fully disclosed in my said patent above referred to. In the present machine provision is made for feeding successive tags from a bulk supply thereof, for forming an opening therein, and for threading the string through the opening to secure the tag to the string and thence. to the bag. As .herein shown, mechanism for performing these operations is located between station E and station F, and as herein shown consists of a supply guideway 20 for holding a stack of tags 21.

Provision is made for removing the endmost tag from the stack of tags 21 as they are supported in the guideway 20 and for conveying the tag thus Withdrawn from the stack, to a position immediately above the stretch of the string between the adjacent stack 21by a suction device; comprising a tube 30 secured in a split end crank 32 mounted upon a shaft 34. Suction is created within. the tube 30 by any suitable means, not shown, such as a standard form of vacuum pump, and in the operation of the machine the endmost tag is conveyed from a position such as is illustrated in Fig. 6 to a position such as is illustrated in Fig. 7 by the suction tube 30, the shaft 34 being rocked by suitable mechanism as will be described. During the course of-the movement of the suction tube 30 into the position illustrated in Fig. 7 provision is made for rocking an abutment member 40 from a position such as is illustrated in Fig. 6 to the position illustrated in Fig. 7 and the abutment member 40 is provided with a slot 42 in the face thereof in which the end of the tag is operatively supported when the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 7 The abutment member 40 is also provided with side plates 44, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6 which serve to guide and center the tag in its movement into operative' position ready to be punched.

As illustrated herein, the mechanism for moving the suction device 30 comprises an operating cam 46 mounted upon the main cam shaft of the machine and having cooperating therewith a cam roll mounted upon a link 48, the upper end of which is connected to an arm 50 secured to an o erating shaft 52 whereby the operating shaft 52 is rocked by ing 63 in the tab.

56 to a lever arm 58 fast upon-the shaft 34. From an inspection of Figs. 3 and 6 it will be apparent therefore that through the mechanism described, the suction tube 30 and arm 32 are rocked periodically from the position illustrated in Fig. 6 to that illustrated in Fig.

7 and back again.

Provision is also made for utilizing the oscillations of the operating shaft 52 for causing the movements of the abutment member 40 into and from its operative position illustrated in Fig. 7, and as herein shown the abutment member 40 is loose on the shaft 3'4 and is provided with an arm 59 formed as an extension of the same and which is loose upon the shaft 34. The operating shaft 52 is proyided with an arm 60 fast upon the shaft 52 and which is connected by a link 62 to the arm 59 as illustrated in Fig. 2. With this construction it will be apparent that, as the suction device is moved into and from operative position illustrated in Fig. 7. the abutment member is simultaneously moved into and from such position.

In-the operation of the machine, after a tag has been withdrawn by the suction device 30 and positioned directly above the stretch of the string, as illustrated in Fig. 7, provision is made or punching an opening 63 inthe tag preferably to form a tab 65 (see Fig. 16) of the punched out part of the tag,

and for thereafter threading the stretch of string through the opening, and as herein shown the punching operation is performed by a punch 66 having its upper end beveled 40 and forming a cutting member. The shank of the punch is reduced immediately below the cutting member and is provided with a book 70 in the face thereof which is arranged to engage the string and to draw it through the opening 63 formed by the punch, during the upward movement of the punch. The punch 66 is mounted in the end of one arm 72 of a bell crank loosely mounted upon the operating shaft 52' and the second arm 74 of 5a the bell crank is connected by a link 76 and a suitable cam roll to an operating cam 78 also mounted upon the main cam shaft of the machine. The cam is so designed that the punch 66 is moved from its normally inoperative position such as illustrated in detail in Fig. 6 to an intermediate position such as is illustrated in Fig. 7, during the period in the operation of the machine that the suction tube 30 and the abutment member 40 are being ca moved into the position shown in Fig. 7. As

a result, after a tag has been positioned in the position shown in Fig. 7 the punch 66. immediately thereafter punches the tab out of the tag thus su ported forming the 0 enrom an inspection of ig.

7 it will be observed that during the upward string extending upwardly through the opening thus punched in the tag, spreading it laterally and carrying the loop over the body of the tag, and for thereafter returning theloop under the tag into a position in which the loop may be completed to fasten the tag to the string. As herein shown the machine is provided with a pair of spreader fingers 79 pivotally mounted upon an arm 80 fixed upon a rotatable shaft 82, and the arm 80 is arranged to be rocked from an actuating cam 84 through a link 86 connected at its upper end to a projection 88 extending rearwardly from the arm 80, and through a bell crank 90, and through a link 92. The spreader fingers 79 are each pivoted upon a stud 94 and are normally held in the position illustrated in detail in Fi 5 by the actionof springs 95 to position t e ends of the spreader fingers 79 so that as the arm 80 is rocked from the position shown in Fig. 2 down to a position such as is illustrated in Fig. 8, the ends of the spreader fingers 79 will be positioned within the loop of string and between it and the sides of the punch 66. Thereafter as the arm 80 continues to swing from the position illustrated in Fig. 8 to that illustrated in Fig. 9, provision is made for causing the spreader fingers 79 to be swung outwardly, and as herein shown cam rollers 100 mounted upon the hubs which support the spreader fingers 79 are brought into engagement with cam surfaces 104 formed upon a bracket 106 mounted upon the machine frame, and operate to cause the spreader fingers 79 to be swung outward in, cooperation with a pair of retainingfingers 110 operate to depress the corners of the tag so that as the arm 80 continues to move slightly beyond the position illustrated in Fig. 9, the tag will snap back to its normal position when the end of the loop of string has passed beyond the end of'the tag, so that thereafter as the 'arm 80 is retracted the loop of string is drawn beneath the tag to a position such as is illustrated in detail in Fig. 18.

During the passage of the loop of string under the tag as the arm 80 is moving into the position shown in Fig. 10, provision is made for breaking the suction within the suction tube and this may conveniently be accomplished by a suitable automatic valve for opening the suction line to permit the tag to be raised from the end of the suction tube 30. Inasmuch as the construction and operation of such automatic valves are wellknown, it is not deemed necessary to illustrate the same herein. After the loop of string has been drawn to a position illustrated in Figs. 10 and 19, provision is then made for again creating suction within the suction tube 30 to firmly hold the tag in position and for thereafter closing the loop by the operation of a pair of loop closing de- Vices 114 mounted upon a lever 116 fast upon the shaft 118 and one of which is shown in Figs. 6 to 11. The shaft is arranged to be rocked through an actuating cam 120 through the medium of a bell crank 122, link 124 and lever 126 fast on the shaft 118. With this construction the two loop closing devices 114 are swung into a position illustrated in dot ted lines in Fig. 19 where they engage the lateral portions of the loop operating to cause it to assume the position illustrated in Fig. 20. The operation of the loop closing device is assisted by a spring tensioning device herein shown as comprising a plate 130 mounted upon a hub 132 fixed to the shaft 34 and having a member 134 pivoted-upon the end of the plate 130 and yieldingly urged outwardly by a coil spring 138. The parts are positioned so that the member 134 engages the stretch of the string exerting a tension thereon so that with the cooperation of the loop closing devices 114 the loop is closed, the string and tag assuming a position such as is illustrated in Fig. 20. Thereafter the loop closing devices are withdrawn and then the suction tube 30 is swung to the right, viewing Fig. 11, operating to cause the tag to be moved to complete t e tightening of the loop and after the tag has moved a short distance sufiicient for this purpose,

provision is made for fitomatically breaking the suction through the operation of the automatic valve above referred to.

In order to permit the looping operations to be performed provision is made for providing a sufiicient slack in the stretch of string between adjacent gripping members in the stations E and F, to permit the above described operations to be performed, and this has been accomplished in the commercial automatic machine manufactured by' Pneumatic Scale Corporation, Limited, by swinging the gripping members in station F toward those in station E to provide the desired slack. Any suitable mechanismmay be utilized for this purpose, and as illustrated in Fig. 4 and as heretofore employed in such automatic machines, the pair of gripping jaws at station F are swung in a clockwise direction to provide the slack by movement of a cam block 140 under the influence of an operating cam, not shown, and by connections to such gripping jaws including a cam roll 142 on a lever 144 pivoted at 145 and having its other end provided with a cam roll 146 which slides 1n a groove 148 in the under surface of the lower gripping jaw. In the operation of the device a control cam, not herein shown, automatically moves the cam block 140 into the position illustrated in Fig. 4 when the gripping jaws are moved into station F, and as a result of this movement of the cam block 140, the grip-' ping jaws are moved sufliciently toward those I in station E to provide the desired slack.

After the tags have been applied in the manner described to the stretch of'string, the turret is again advanced a step, and provision is then made for operating a cutting knife 150 to sever the string at a point such as 151, exactly as has heretofore been the practice in the commercial automatic machines above referred to. When the turret has advanced another step, the particular bag with the tag attached thereto is brought into a position such that when the gripping members are automatically opened the tagged bag drops onto an outgoing conveyor indicated generally at 154 and'is removed from the machine.

From the description thus far it will be observed that in the present machine the tag is fed into punching position and securely held during the unching and stringing operations, there y eliminating difficulties which have heretofore been experienced in machines of this type which have arisen from the necessity for accurate alignment when tags having preformed holes are fed into the machine.

' In addition the present machine is adapted for operation upon tags of a variety of sizes and shapes and is therefore more universal in its use than the prior machines which were adapted to operate upon tags having the preformed holes punched therein.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention may be embodied inother forms within the scope of the following claims.-

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. In a packaging machine, in combination, bag filling mechanism, tag feeding mechanism, tag punching mechanism, and means for, fastenin a flexible band to the punched tag and to t e filled bag.

2. In a; packaging'machine, in combination,

supporting means for a package; means for attaching a flexible band to the package thus supported, means for withdrawing successive tags from a bulk supply, means for punching an opening in each tag, and means for passing a loop of the flexible hand through said punched opening and over the body of the tag to attach the band to the tag.

3. In a packaging machine, in combination, supporting means for the package, means for attaching a flexible band to the package, and means for attaching the flexible band to a tag including a tag holding member, a movable punch for punching a hole in a tag, and means for drawing a loop of the flexible band through the punched opening and over the body of the tag,

4. In a packaging machine, in combination, a bag supporting device, means for attaching a flexible band to the bagthus supported, means for withdrawing a tag from a bulk supply and operatively supporting it in definite relation to said flexible band, a punch for punching a hole in a tag, and means upon the punch for engaging the flexible band and drawinga loop thereof through the punched opening.

5. In a packaging machine, in combination, a plurality of intermittently rotatable supporting members for holding a plurality of bags, means for attaching a flexible band to a plurality of the supporting members to provide stretches of the band between adjacent bags, tag feeding means for positioning a tag in definite relation to a stretch of the band between two adjacent bags,.a punch for punching an opening in the tag provided with a hook for engaging the band and drawing a loop'thereof through the punched opening, and a device for engaging the loop and passing it over the body of the tag to attach the band to the tag.

6. In a packaging machine, in combination, means for attaching a flexible band to a package, tag feeding means for positioning a tag in predetermined relation to the band thus attached, a punch for forming an opening in the tag thus positioned, means for drawing a loop of the band through the opening and means for fastening the same to the tag.

7. In a packagingmachine, in combination, means for attaching a flexible band to a package, tag feeding means for positioning a tag in predetermined relation to the band thus attached, a punch for forming an opening in a tag thus positioned having provision for engaging the band and drawing a loop thereof through the opening, and mechanism for passing the loop over the body of the tag to thereby attach the band to the tag.

8. In a tea bagging machine, in combination, a pair of spaced apart members for engaging and holding the mouth of the bag,

means for attaching a flexible band to the mouth of the bag thus held to provide a stretch of the band between said bags, a tag feeding device for operatively presenting a tag to a definiteposition with relation to said stretch of the band, a punch for forming an opening in a tag thus positioned, and means for drawing a loop formed in the said stretch of the band through said-opening, and means for passing the loop, over the body of the tag to attach the tag to said stretch of the band.

9. In a tea bagging machine, in combination, a pair of spaced apart members for engaging and holding the mouth of the bag, means for attaching a flexible band to the mouth of the bag thus held to provide a stretch of the band between said bags, a tag feeding device for operatively presenting a tag to a definite position with relation to said stretch of the band, a punch for forming an opening in a tag thus positioned, means for drawing a loop formed in the said stretch of the band through said opening and over the body of the tag to attach the tag to said stretch of the band, and means for thereafter severing the stretch ofthe band between the tag and one of the bags.

10. In a packaging mechine, in 'combina tion, means for operatively supporting a flexible band, a tag feeding device for positioning a tag in definite relation to the band thus supported, means for forming an opening in the tag thus fed, and means for drawing a loop of the band through said opening and for fastening the same to the tag.

-11. In a packaging machine, in combination, means for operatively supporting a flexible band, a tag feeding device for positioning a tag in definite relation to the band thus supported, means for forming an opening in the tag thus fed, and means for drawing a loop of the band through said opening and over the body of the tag to thereby fasten the band to the tag.

12. In a packaging machine, in combination, means for operatively supporting a flexible band, a tag feeding device for positioning a tag in definite relation to the band thus supported, means for forming an opening in the tag thus fed, means for drawing a loop of the band through the opening, and means for engaging the loop, spreading it laterally, and drawing itover the body of the tag to thereby fasten the band to the tag.

13. In a packaging machine, in combination, means for operatively supporting a flexible band, a tag feeding device for positioning a tag in definite relation to the'band thus supported, a punch for formin an opening in a tag thus fed provided wit means for engaging the band to draw a loop thereof through said opening, and spreader fingers for engaging'the loop and passing it over the body of the tag to thereby fasten the band to the tag.

' 14. In a packaging machine, in combination, bag forming mechanism, bag filling mechanism, means for closing the bag to enclose the material therein, and means for se-' curing a handle comprising a tag and a flexible connecting member, to the ba closed by the bag closing mechanism, inclu 'n means for punching an opening in a tag an means for inserting the flexible connecting member through said opening to secure the same to t e tag.

15. In a packaging machine, in combination, bag forming mechanism, bag filling mechanism, means for closing the bag to en- 10 close the material therein, and means for securing a handle comprising a tag and a flexible connecting member, to the ba closed by the bag closing mechanism, inclu ing means for operatively supporting a tag, means for punching a' hole in the tag thus supported, means for inserting a flexible band through the opening in the tag to secure the band to the tag, and means cooperating with the band for presenting it in predetermined relation 50 to a bag held by the bag closing means.

16. In a tea ba ging machine, in combination, automatic gag forming means, automatic bag filling means, automatic bag holding and closing means, and mechanism for attaching to each successively formed and filled bag a handle comprising a tag and a flexible connecting member, including punching mechanism for forming a hole in each of successive tags,'means for inserting a flexible band-through the hole thus formed in a Zag, and means for securing the band to the ne'- Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

a5 RALPH N. DOBLE. 

